Fujifilm Corporation

Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Takayuki Iida

Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Satoshi Ozawa

Takaaki Saito

Jun Enomoto

Toshihiko Kaku

Yoshio Ozawa

Azuchi Endo

Hiroaki Nakamura

Masahiro Kubo

Hiroaki Yasuda

Tsuyoshi Tanabe

Jin Murayama

Fumio Matsumoto

Takayuki Nakamura

Akihiko Erikawa

Futoshi Yoshida

Yoichi Nakamura

Naoyuki Morita

Takashi Murooka

Akira Mizuyoshi

Kiyohiro Maeda

Shinichi Yamakawa

Osamu Kuroda

Tsuyoshi Ashida

Takafumi Matsushita

Kazuyoshi Hara

Maki Saito

Mamoru Shinohara

Yasuhiro Minetoma

Atsushi Maruhashi

Kanenori Ochiai

Masayuki Ryuto

Shengfu Cui

Hideo Seto

Hisashi Ohara

Maki Ouchi

Hiroto Kagaya

Akira Mizoyoshi

Hidetoshi Hirata

Even if the ratio between blue and green components of illumination light is changed, a plurality of types of blood vessels at different depths are reliably distinguished. A blue signal B, a green signal G, a red signal R is obtained by imaging the subject using a color CCD. A B/G image having a B/G ratio is generated. A superficial blood vessel extraction image is obtained by extracting a pixel, in which the B/G ratio is equal to or less than a boundary value Ls between the mucous membrane and the superficial blood vessel, from the B/G image. A medium-deep blood vessel extraction image is obtained by extracting a pixel, in which the B/G ratio is equal to or greater than a boundary value Ld between the mucous membrane and the medium-deep blood vessel. The boundary values Ls and Ld differ depending on the light amount ratio.

Endoscope system, processor device of endoscope system, and image processing method

An observation object is imaged under irradiation with oxygen saturation level measurement light to obtain a first image signal, and the observation object is imaged under irradiation with white light to obtain a second image signal. A normal light image is produced from the second image signal. An oxygen saturation level is calculated from the first and second image signals. The calculated oxygen saturation level is imaged in an oxygen saturation image. By superimposing the normal light image on the oxygen saturation image, an emphasized oxygen saturation image is produced. In the emphasized oxygen saturation image, an abnormal area in which a calculation result of the oxygen saturation level is likely to be abnormal is emphasized by its brightness. The produced emphasized oxygen saturation image is displayed on a display device.

Endoscope system and operating method thereof

An endoscope system comprising an image signal acquisition unit acquiring an image signal by imaging a subject, and an irregularity image generation unit generating an irregularity image by extracting information of irregularities on the subject, the irregularity image generation unit includes a microstructure image generation section generating a microstructure image as the irregularity image by extracting a microstructure of a body tissue surface layer from the image signal, the image signal including image signals of a plurality of colors having information of different wavelength components, the microstructure image generation section includes a first brightness signal generation section generating a brightness signal showing an average brightness of the subject based on the image signals of the plurality of colors, and a first image generation section generating the microstructure image by extracting a pixel region, in which a pixel value exceeds a fixed threshold value, of the brightness signal as a microstructure.

Endoscope system and image generation method to generate images associated with irregularities of a subject

An endoscopic device that irradiates a plurality of illuminating lights having different spectrums from each other onto a subject at a front edge of an endoscope inserting module and captures the subject to obtain an observation image, includes an illuminating module that generates the plurality of illuminating lights, an imaging module that captures the subject and outputs an image signal of the observation image, a light intensity ratio control module that controls the illuminating module to irradiate the plurality of illuminating lights onto the subject with a set light intensity ratio by setting the light intensity ratio of the plurality of illuminating lights for every observation image, and a color tone correcting module that corrects the color tone of the image signal so as to obtain the observation image with substantially a same color tone even though the light intensity ratio is changed.

Endoscopic device

Broadband light BB and narrowband light NB are simultaneously irradiated to a subject. A blue signal B, a green signal G, and a red signal R are obtained by imaging the subject using a color CCD. A base image is generated from the signals B, G, and R of three colors. A B/G image having a B/G ratio is generated. A superficial blood vessel extraction image is obtained by extracting a pixel, in which the B/G ratio is equal to or less than a boundary value Ls between the mucous membrane and the superficial blood vessel, from the B/G image. A medium-deep blood vessel extraction image is obtained by extracting a pixel, in which the B/G ratio is equal to or greater than a boundary value Ld between the mucous membrane and the medium-deep blood vessel. The boundary values Ls and Ld differ depending on each observation mode.

A blue signal B, a green signal G, and a red signal R are obtained by imagining a subject illuminated with white light W using a color CCD. Based on these signals B, G, and R, a normal light image in which a wavelength component of a visible light region is included is generated. Based on the signals B, G, and R, a brightness signal I ((B+G+R)/3) showing the average brightness of the subject is generated. A pixel region exceeding the fixed threshold value Thof the brightness signal I is extracted as a superficial microstructure P, such as a pit pattern. A microstructure enhancement imageis generated by combining the normal light image with a superficial microstructure imageobtained by extracting the superficial microstructure P. The generated microstructure and blood vessel enhancement imageis displayed on a monitor

Endoscope system and composite image generation method

An oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood is correctly acquired without lowering a frame rate. A subject body illuminated with white light W is imaged by a color CCD to obtain signals Bs, Gsand Rs. The subject body is illuminated with blue narrow band light BN of which absorption coefficient is changed by a change in the oxygen saturation level of the hemoglobin in blood, and imaged by the color CCD to obtain signals Bs, Gsand Rs. The signal Bsis divided by the signal Gsto determine a normalized signal Bs/Gs. The oxygen saturation level of blood vessels of the surface of body tissue is obtained according to the normalized signal Bs/Gs. The oxygen saturation level is visualized in a pseudo color, to form an oxygen saturation level image.

Endoscope system, processing apparatus for the same, and image generating method

A light source device of an electronic endoscope system has first and second semiconductor lasers. In a vascular observation mode, one of the semiconductor lasers is used in a full light state (100% rated output) while the other is used in a reduced light state (for example, 10% rated output). First and second images of an internal body portion are captured with a color imaging device under illumination of two patterns, respectively. Correlation operation of pixel values of three colors is performed between the two images. Noise components, caused by the first or second semiconductor lasers in the light reduced state, are removed from the first and second images. An oxygen saturation level of blood in a blood vessel is calculated using the first and second images with the noise components removed.

Electronic endoscope system and method for controlling the same

To provide an endoscope apparatus in which the observation image can be varied continuously as the observation magnification is varied by a zoom magnification varying manipulation so that an observation image suitable for an endoscope diagnosis is obtained at each observation magnification, and to thereby prevent the operator from feeling uncomfortable and increase the accuracy of a diagnosis. An endoscope apparatus is equipped with illuminating unit having plural light sources which generate light beams having different spectra, for illuminating an observation subject; imaging unit for imaging the observation subject; observation magnification varying unit for varying observation magnification of the imaging of the imaging unit; and light quantity ratio varying unit for continuously varying an emission light quantity ratio between the plural light sources according to the observation magnification that is set by the observation magnification varying unit.

Endoscope apparatus

First and second white light is generated by excitations of phosphors with first and second laser beams having center wavelengths of 473 nm and 445 nm, respectively. The first and second white light is applied, in respective frames, sequentially to a region of interest in a subject. A color image sensor images the region of interest in the each frame. Based on a shift amount, calculated from green signals of first and second frames, between images, an image of a blue signal of the first frame is moved to be aligned with an image of a green signal and an image of a red signal of the second frame. After the alignment, an oxygen saturation image representing an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood is produced from the blue signal of the first frame and green and red signals of the second frame.

Endoscope system, processor device thereof, and image producing method

In an endoscope system, rays of different wavelength bands are sequentially projected toward a target site of a test subject, to obtain image signals from the reflected rays. Reflection spectra are calculated from the image signals and subjected to a multi-regression analysis in combination with absorption spectra of those objects which are relevant to the inspection, such as blood or hemoglobin in the target site, and absorption spectra of irrelevant objects other than the relevant objects, such as bile or staining materials. Spectral components of the irrelevant objects in the reflection spectra are determined through the multi-regression analysis, and are eliminated from the reflection spectra, providing second reflection spectra. A couple of images are produced and displayed on the basis of the first reflection spectra from which the spectral components of the irrelevant objects are not eliminated and the second reflection spectra.

Electronic endoscope system

According to an aspect of the invention, an endoscopic apparatus outputs illuminating light from a tip of an endoscope inserting module to a subject and detects a reflected light from the subject to obtain an image signal of the subject. The endoscopic apparatus includes a first light source, a second light source, a target light intensity setting module, a light intensity ratio setting module, an information storing module, an amplitude value setting module, a driving signal generating module, a signal supplying module.

Endoscopic apparatus

An endoscopeincludes a first light sourcethat emits white illumination light, a second light sourcethat emits narrow-band light and an imaging section that has an imaging devicehaving plural detection pixels and images a region to be observed. The imaging section is caused to output a captured image signal including both a return light component of the white illumination light from the region to be observed by and a return light component of the narrow-band light the white illumination light. From the captured image signal, the return light component of the narrow-band light is selectively extracted, and a brightness level of the extracted return light component of the narrow-band light is changed by changing a light amount of light emitted from the second light source

Method of controlling endoscope and endoscope

An electronic endoscope includes an illumination unit, an imaging unit and an image generating unit. The illumination unit switches among plural light beams having different spectra so as to illuminate a subject. The light beams include white light and excitation light for exciting the subject to produce fluorescence. The imaging unit includes a solid-state imaging device, and an objective optical system. The objective optical system guides, to the solid-state imaging device, light returning from the subject which the illumination unit illuminates. The image generating unit generates image data based on image signals output from the imaging unit. The solid-state imaging device further includes a sensitivity adjusting unit that only lowers sensitivity, to the excitation light, of pixels which are sensitive to the fluorescence among a plurality of pixels of the solid-state imaging device. The light guided by the objective optical system is incident directly onto the solid-state imaging device.

Electronic endoscope

Provided is an endoscope system including an endoscope which includes an illumination optical system having a fluorescent substance and an imaging optical system having an imaging element; and a control device which is connected to the endoscope. The control device includes a light source unit having a semiconductor light emitting element generating excitation light used to excite the fluorescent substance, a storage section storing predetermined color correction information, and an image processing section creating captured image data by performing a calculation process on an image signal output from the imaging element on the basis of the color correction information. At least one of optical characteristics of the fluorescent substance and the semiconductor light emitting element is detected, and the color correction information stored in the storage section is corrected on the basis of the detected optical characteristic.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Takayuki Iida